How can we improve the bike lanes in Kelowna

[36Drew]

Yes, and the pedal bike crowd is welcome to walk on them.

So just because you yourself wouldn't use the infrastructure, it's not important to you? You'd far rather simply pay out the other end by subsidizing the insurance and medical system when accidents do happen?

[Always Sunny]

I like the bike trails in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Obviously a much larger city in terms of space, they've got a lot more! Well anyway, the trails go all through the city and you rarely have to ride along side cars and can get just about anywhere in the city with their connected trails. I think it's a mistake to have bike paths all over, a few good dedicated ones would allow bikers to get just about anywhere, faster and safer. So that might require tunnels and other stuff, but would be worth it.

Thunder Bay is a far different set up than Kelowna. Most of the bike trails run along the highways/expressways that bypass the city a great deal. The trails run underneath the highways and busy streets. There is also far more green space or wooded areas that these trails can pass through without being in someone's backyard.

The trails themselves will get you from one end of town to the other, which is great, but they are rather few and far between east to west.

Their biggest fail is the new bike lanes that were recently added. They've eliminated entire lanes on major streets to accommodate the new bike lanes. Lanes which NO one uses because they are so poorly designed and completely dangerous.

[dogspoiler]

So just because you yourself wouldn't use the infrastructure, it's not important to you? You'd far rather simply pay out the other end by subsidizing the insurance and medical system when accidents do happen?[/quote]

Not at all, I believe in a reasonable system of user pay, pedal bikers want their own exclusive lanes, free of cars and pedestrians. I would like them to contribute a substantial portion of the money it will cost.

[dogspoiler]

tremoved - Jennylives

[36Drew]

tremoved - Jennylives

tremoved - Jennylives
As for logical thoughts - I've already pointed out two. One is that, by means of taxation, said cyclists are already paying towards something. I'm sure there's facilities or infrastructure that you use in your life that are somehow funded by taxpayer dollars. Facilities or infrastructure that somebody else may have little or no interest in using.

I also suggested that there is a real cost to others - including motorists. A cyclist accident can be quite expensive - more expensive than an insurance deductible and subsequent premium increases would pay for. It would be worthwhile for both road users and rate-payers to have those cyclists moved out of traffic and into a cycling area that is away from traffic.
tremoved - Jennylives

[dogspoiler]

So everybody else should have to pay for whatever the pedal pushers want, extra lanes, special rules, and they should get it without cost. Is that right ?

[dogspoiler]

On your second point Drew, it should be mandatory for cyclists to cary their own insurance.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

Sounds like some on here are ignorant of the fact that many cyclists, also have motorvehicles insured, and are paying those costs wether they drive or cycle..

[dogspoiler]

Some are not ignorant of that at all. But the ones that want money to be spent to accomodate them should be willing to pay for it.

[36Drew]

So everybody else should have to pay for whatever the pedal pushers want, extra lanes, special rules, and they should get it without cost. Is that right ?

What I'm suggesting is that a shared-use pathway is no different than dog parks, ice rinks, swimming pools, playgrounds, schools, hospitals, and the like. it's public common infrastructure that's paid for through taxation. None of your ICBC insurance money gets spend on roadwork. It's spent on licensing, enforcement, and insurance claims. The roads themselves are paid for entirely through taxation. A shared-use path would also be paid for in the same manner.

[36Drew]

Some are not ignorant of that at all. But the ones that want money to be spent to accomodate them should be willing to pay for it.

I would think that you are ignorant of how exactly roadwork infrastructure is paid for - you seem to think it's paid through ICBC. If that's the case, you couldn't be more wrong.

[Captain Awesome]

Nothing like good old "I pay some taxes so I should be the one saying how things are" argument.

[dogspoiler]

I would like to see how that works in practice in a busy area, little kids, seniors, roller bladers, and bikes on the same path. I have seen places where it did not work.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

Like where? ....all of the users you mentioned, share the promenade in the park all summer long..

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

Like where? ....all of the users you mentioned, share the promenade in the park all summer long..